Abdominal support



Oct 19 1926.

J. M. RISSELT ABDQMINAL SUPPORT Filed April 9 1925 INVENTOR WITNESSES alt,

m a 2 WW ATTORNEYS Patented 0a. 19, 1926.

- UNITED STATES JOSEPHINE M. RISSELT, OF TENAFLY, NEW JERSEY.

ABDOMINAL SUPPORT.

Application filed April 9, 1925. Serial No. 1,897.

This invention relates to body supports, and more particularly to supports for maintaining the abdominal muscles in position.

I-Ieretofore abdominal belts have been contructed in such a manner that they either required thigh straps for retaining the belt in position, with great discomfort to the wearer, or they were so tightly fitted to prevent displacement as to cause irritation and inconvenience to the perineum. thermore, the construction of such belts required application of the same while the user was in standing position and when the abdomen was projected downwardly and outwardly. The usual binding straps were then necessarily employed in attempting to raise the muscles at the region of the perineum. In such a case the straps were drawn so tightly that too great a pressure was applied to the lumbar muscles without effectually replacin the abdomen.

It is an o ject of the present invention to provide an abdominal support which may be applied to the body of a person while in a reclining dposition and when the abdomen has assume its more natural position, thus eliminating the necessity of exerting any strap pressure to force the regions of the perineum in position.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an abdominal belt having regions of rigidity disposed longitudinally of the abdomen, with transverse straps above and below the rigid portions, which straps when drawn comfortably taut will not only form an eflicient support for retaining the abdomen in position, but b reason of the inward flexing of the less rigid portions of the belt, where the straps are connected, will prevent displacement of the belt and permit of adjustment for the proper expansion of abdominal regions at the upper end of said belt.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a one-piece belt made of lightweight materials and designed in such a manner that a patient or wearer may step into the same and adjust a securing strap or straps by a pull and sliding movement when the patient is lying on his back, the device being adapted not only as a belt to support the abdomen but for the relief in ruptures, sprained backs, for reducing, for use on a patient after certain types of operations, and for incorporation in corsets and brassieres.

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With the above recitedand other objects in view, the invention resides in the novel construction set forth in the following specification, particularly pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it being understood that the right is reserved to embodiments other than those actually illustrated herein, to the full extent indicated by the general meaning of the terms in which the claims are expressed.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is a side view of my abdominal belt shown applied to a patient;

Fig. 2 is a rear. view of the belt as applied;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the belt in open position;

Fig. 41 is a transverse vertical section taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 shows the vertical section of Figure 4: when the belt has been applied.

Fig. 6 is a similar section taken along the line 6-43 of Fig. 3.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 10 designates the front portion of the belt, which is reinforced at its upper and loweredges by means of a braid 11. At the lower end is provided a depending triangularly shaped projection 12, and directly opposite this projection is fomed a cut-out or depressed portion 13.

A pair of end portions 14L and 15 are connected to the opposite ends of the front portion by means of elastic fabric 16. The end portions are reinforced along their upper and lower edges by means of braid 17. The upper end of each end portion is extended upwardly as shown at 18 in order to provide sufiicient garment to engage neatly beneath the shoulders and points above the lumbar muscles of the back. The vertical edges of the end portions are reinfored by resilient stays 19 in order to form suficient stiffening for t e outer ends of the end ortions to p'reven folding of the same. tab is formed of a single piece of material, as shown at 20, or of a strap folded upon itself, shown at 21, and secured to either an upper or a lower end of the outer edges of the end portions 14 and 15. Straps 22 are secured to the upper tabs, while straps 23 are secured to the lower tabs and are provided with some form of buckle 2 1 at the free ends for receiving the free ends of either a strap 25 or 26, as the case may be, depending upon the relative positions of the buckles and said straps. A strap 25 is secured, as shown at 37, to the front portion adjacent its upper edge and beyond the ends of the plurality of resilient stays 28.- The strap 26 is secured intermediate its ends, as shown at 29, to the downwardly projecting portion 12 of the front member of the belt and below the free ends of the resilient stays 28. A reinforcing leather plate 80 is secured to the front member 10 across the strap 26 where said strap is secured to the front member and across the lower ends of the stays 28. Other reinforcing stays such as 31 and 32 are secured to the front member 10 adjacent its ends. The frame portion 10 and the end portions 14 and 15 are made of fabricand are therefore flexible.

- A strap 33 has its opposite ends secured to the opposite edges of the front member 10 and adjacent each end of sa'rd front member, and is adapted to provide a guide for.

the free ends of the straps 25 and 26. A strap 34, which is shorter than either of the straps 33, is secured to eachinner end of the end members 14 and 15 and is likewise adapted to receive the free ends of the strap f belt is adapted to be received by a buckle 24 located at the opposite end of the belt. In this vcondition of the belt, the patient may step directly into the same and slide it into position in the region of the lumbar muscles of the back. It also must be borne in mind that since the straps 25 and 26 are engaged by their respective buckles 24 at-the sides of the body, the patient is not required to stand in order to apply the same, and, furthermore, the belt may be appliedby lying flat on the back and when the muscles of the abdomen are in proper position. Furthermore, the guides 34 and 33 permit the free ends of the straps to be readily drawn taut by a pull and'sliding movement. It willalso be borne in mind that the straps25 and 26 are secured at their middle. points to the front member 10 of the belt and beyond the free end of the resilient "stays 28 which normally support the abdominal muscles, so that when the strap 26 is drawn taut the flexible edge 12 of the front member of the belt will be drawn inwardly and form a rest or support forthe abdomen. The strap 25-is likewise secured to a portion of the belt which is free of stays so that the same may be'properly adjusted to permit the proper expansion of the body andwithout any inconvenience to the wearer.

Referring to Figure 3, the left hand end of strap 25 is passed through tab 21 and connected to the buckle 24-on strap 22 at the right of the garment while the right hand end of strap 25 is carried around the back of the wearer and secured to the buckle on the stra. 22 of tab 21 at the left of the garment. imilarly the right hand end of strap 26 is passed through the adjacent tab 21 and connected to the left hand buckle on strap '23 while the left hand end of strap 26 is secured at the back of the wearer to the buckle on strap 23 at the right of the garment.

What I claim is 1. An abdominal belt comprising a strip of fabricated material, resilient stays secured transversely to and centrally of the strip,

the ends of the stays being spacedfrom the adjacent edges of the strip, a strap secured intermediate its ends at each edge of the stri gui es receiving the free ends of the straps to permit sliding of said straps during'application of the belt, said stays being spaced a greater distance apart at theupper ends than at the lower ends thereof.

2. An abdominal belt comprising a front portion and end portions made of fabricated material, elastic members connecting the end portions with the front portion, resilient stays secured centrally of the front portion and terminating short of the upper and lower edges of said portion, a flexible plate embracing the lower ends of the stays, the upper endsof the stays being spaced a greater distance apart "than the lower ends,

' straps connected intermediate their ends to beyond the ends of the stays, and

the front portion and beyond the opposite ends of the resilient stays, other resilient stays secured to the front portion adjacent the ends thereof, and resilient stays secured to the end portions for reinforcing said portions.

3. An abdominal belt comprising a front portion and end portions made of fabricated material, elastic members connecting the end portions with the front portion, resilient stays secured centrally of the front portion and terminating short of the upper and lower edges of said portion, straps connected intermediate their ends to the front portion and beyond the opposite ends of the resilient stays, guides for retaining the respective straps in position adjacent an edge of the front and end sliding movement of straps during adjustment, and spaced straps connected to the ends of the end portions JOSEPHINE M. RISSELT.

ortions and permitting ,120

the free ends of the 

